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Golf Trips / International / Northern Ireland

Plan Your Newcastle Golf Trip in 60 Seconds

Royal County Down & Royal Portrush — two of the world's best

Northern Ireland is home to two of the highest-ranked links on the planet: Royal County Down beneath the Mountains of Mourne, and Royal Portrush, host of the 2019 and 2025 Opens. Add Portstewart and the Giant's Causeway and you have a perfect long weekend.

4
courses
Spring, Summer, Fall
best season
BFS
75 min drive
10–50k
town size
The rota

Courses

Royal County Down (Championship Links)Bucket List

Ranked the #1 course in the world by multiple panels — blind shots and gorse beneath the Mountains of Mourne

$565–$575
Par 71 · 7,206 yds
links · walkable
Royal Portrush (Dunluce Links)Bucket ListTOURNAMENT HOST

Host of the 2019 and 2025 Opens — "Calamity Corner" and the iconic White Rocks finish

$530–$535
Par 72 · 6,867 yds
links · walkable
Portstewart Golf Club (Strand Course)Premium

Front nine through "Thistly Hollow" — one of the great opening stretches in links golf; 2017 Irish Open host

$89–$425
Par 71 · 7,118 yds
links · walkable
Ardglass Golf ClubPremiumHIDDEN GEM

Clifftop links with a 15th-century castle clubhouse — the perfect pairing-day with Royal County Down

$114–$318
Par 70 · 6,200 yds
links · walkable
Base camp

Where to Stay

resort houseSleeps 10–18

$230–$400 /night

Slieve Donard (Hastings) — seafront grande-dame hotel right beside Royal County Down

seafrontadjacent to RCDsparestaurantMourne Mountain views
resort houseSleeps 8–16

$150–$300 /night

Portrush hotels near Whiterocks Beach — base for Royal Portrush and Portstewart

near Whiterocks Beachrestaurantnear Royal Portrush
The table

Dining

The Bushmills Inn

$$$
upscale

Refined Irish cooking in a historic coaching inn near Royal Portrush

4.5★

Basalt (Ramore, Portrush)

$$
seafood

Buzzy modern restaurant in the Ramore complex over Portrush harbour — easy for a big table

4.4★

The Percy French

$$
casual

Seafront pub-restaurant at Newcastle with Mourne views, beside Slieve Donard

4.3★
After the round

Nightlife

The Harbour Bar (Portrush)

Late night
dive

Traditional harbour-front bar pouring one of the best pints of Guinness on the coast

The Bush House (Bushmills)

Late night
dive

Cozy local near the distillery — locals swear it's "the best pint on the north coast"

Ramore Wine Bar (Portrush)

Late night
patio

Busy food-and-drink hub on Portrush harbour — the lively spot to start the night

Off days

Activities

Giant's Causeway

hikinghalf day$15–$25/pp

UNESCO basalt columns 15 minutes from Portrush — the iconic Northern Ireland day trip

Old Bushmills Distillery Tour

distillery1-2 hours$15–$25/pp

Tour and tasting at the world's oldest licensed whiskey distillery, minutes from Royal Portrush

Ready when you are

Build the Newcastle trip.

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Nearby

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